Be Brave
by AphroditesRevenge
Summary: Tris has become accustomed to life in Dauntless, but when secrets from generations past surface, she and Tobias must rely on each other to piece together the clues before their world comes crashing down. Action/adventure with plenty of swoony romance. Set after Initiation, with no war… yet. Fourtris, obviously.
1. Chapter 1

**[Be Brave] Chapter 1**

_**Tris has become accustomed to life in Dauntless, but when secrets from generations past surface, she and Tobias must rely on each other to piece together the clues before their world comes crashing down. Action/adventure with plenty of swoony romance. Set after Initiation, with no war… yet. Fourtris, obviously. **_

**Please note: At some point, this will contain spoilers from **_**Insurgent**_** and **_**Allegiant**_**. Read at your own risk. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind.**

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Tris POV

"_We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."_ – excerpt from the Dauntless Manifesto

Bravery. I'm in love with the idea that even the smallest person can have an impact when they stand up for another and defend what is right. Bravery is something that appeals to me and it's something I've always had in me. It wasn't until becoming a member of Dauntless that I realized the capacity of it in me. It is a driving force behind what I do.

Tobias once told me that there wasn't much of a difference between selflessness and bravery. I think that is what I love most about it; that bravery connects my old life to my new life.

I can **be brave**, and because of that, I can be me.

Now that a few months have passed, life in Dauntless was starting to feel pretty normal. After placing first in my initiation class, I was the first to pick my profession the day after initiation. I could pick whatever I wanted to do – which was a completely new concept after growing up Abnegation. Initially, I ended up choosing to be a trainer. The top two initiates from every class are put in a pool and the leaders pick members from that pool to train the new initiates every year. I figured it would be a good place to start, especially if that was what would be expected of me in the years to come. Continuing to build muscle would be good for me, because although initiation training put us through the ringer and back, I still had a long way to go. Besides, it was one of the parts I loved best about Dauntless – being strong and feeling strong – and I hoped that I could learn enough to help others feel the same way too.

However, doing the whole trainer thing was a lot harder than I thought it would be. And when I say a lot, I mean _a lot_. I'm used to hard work and pushing myself to do my best, but there were complications that came with the job. For the first month or two, I spent most of my time in training classes and shadowing some of the trainers who were higher up in the system. At the beginning it felt a bit repetitive because I had just come from weeks of initiate training where I learned it. But the material got more and more complex, sometimes to the point where I couldn't even tell you what I had learned. Thankfully, Uriah had also chosen the same profession as me, so we were able to keep each other sane and understand it enough to pass our Level One Trainer course. While the work was hard, I was building muscle and feeling stronger every day.

That became my daily routine. I'd wake up and train, go to class, train some more or work with my appointments, and occasionally when it was my turn on duty, I'd clean the training center to prepare for the next day to do it all over again. But the best part of my day didn't involve training. The best part of the day was the moment I got off work and ran, always with a sudden burst of energy, to be with Tobias.

_Tobias_, I think and smile to myself. I cannot imagine my life without him, and sometimes I wonder how I managed to ever live without him.

Our relationship had progressed in the best of ways in the months that we've been together. We know each other so well. He is my best friend and my love. He is my favorite part of the day, and I'm pretty sure he will always be.

Becoming Dauntless was the best decision of my life. I have made so many friends who are also finding where they belong here. It's a journey that we've all taken together and it has made us close. Christina is my closest friend, and after we were both initiated, we got an apartment together. Christina spends her days working as a nurse in the infirmary. For all the wounds and injuries she puts up with every day, she still manages to look fabulous. Will also works in the infirmary, training under the careful watch of Doc, an Amity transfer. With Will's Erudite background, he was able to pick up many concepts quickly, and he is on his way to becoming a great doctor and healer for our faction. Will and Christina have been dating ever since initiate training, and things are getting pretty serious. I'm sure that they will be engaged, if not married within the year. As for Peter, he couldn't stand being within the confines of the compound, so he voluntarily took a position guarding the fence. He thinks that he can get away with quite a bit being that far away from the rest of us, but Lynn does a pretty great job of keeping him in line… and recounting the stories to us of her doing so. Marlene has become an astounding mixologist and works in the Dauntless bar, pouring drinks and breaking hearts. While it never quite worked out with Uriah, Marlene and Lynn seem to have a decent relationship, and they balance each other surprisingly well. Uriah is working with me to become a full-time trainer. I secretly think that he chose this path, following in the footsteps of his older brother Zeke, because he eventually wants to be a Dauntless leader. I hope to see him hold a position when he gets older, but right now, I'm glad that he's not working with our current leaders.

I shudder at the thought. While it's been relatively calm these past few months, there are whispers of suspicions that travel throughout the Dauntless complex. Tobias tells me to ignore them, although I can sense that he is wary too. The thought of it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

These thoughts run through my head as one of the Level Three trainers is explaining a complicated new interval set to me. My head feels like it is about to burst. I listen and nod when appropriate, silently counting the minutes till she is done talking. Recently, I have been feeling like this most days as a trainer, but I push that thought to the back of my mind. I put the name of the interval set in my memory for later, so that I can have Uriah help me when I'm feeling more comprehensive. Once she is done explaining the set to me, I finish with the training exercises I have planned for the night. Unlike most other nights, I don't have any training appointments scheduled, which means I can leave as soon as my own training is done. I try my best not to rush through them, but the thought of spending more time with Tobias keeps me focused and timely.

I finish with my exercises, cleaning myself off a bit and rush towards the dining hall, picking up some dinner to go along the way. I decide to surprise him with food and most importantly, chocolate cake. I make my way through the Pit and up and around the walls until I stop in front of the door to the Control Room. I open it slowly, spotting him instantly.

He is staring at the computer screen, eyebrows knit in concentration as his fingers type away at a dizzying speed. He leans back, stretching his arms overhead and yawning. As he does that, the hem of his shirt comes up just a bit and I catch a peek of the smooth skin of his abdomen. It brings a certain warmth to my body and I can't help but smile. I close the door behind me, and he must hear the click of the door shutting, because he turns his head toward me and our eyes meet as his smile matches mine.

It's easy to get lost in the deep blue pools of his eyes. At this moment, they look so full of life, like he just woke up from a long rest. He still looks at me like he's seeing me for the first time, exactly the way he did as he helped me out of the net after I made the jump that changed my life. I blush and silently hope he'll never stop looking at me that way ever.

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**Yay! It's the first of many chapters. Please let me know what you think! This chapter is more of a prologue/catch-up/see where everyone is at this point in time chapter, which is why I didn't include dialogue. I will be trying to update at least twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays) for the first couple weeks to get this story rolling. I'm super excited to be back into writing and I hope that you'll accompany me on this journey too – I'd love the input! **

**Be brave, **

**Tara**


	2. Chapter 2

**[Be Brave] Chapter 2**

**Thanks for the reviews, faves, and follows. I appreciate the love! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind.**

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Tris POV

_He still looks at me like he's seeing me for the first time, exactly the way he did as he helped me out of the net after I made the jump that changed my life. I blush and silently hope he'll never stop looking at me that way ever. _

"Tris," He says standing up as I run over to him, dropping the boxes on his desk before he scoops me into his arms. He pulls back to look at my face, his hands cupping my cheeks. "What a surprise."

I lean up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss, which he gladly returns. "I hope it's a good one," I breathily say before going in for one more kiss.

"Absolutely. It's a very, very good surprise." He says as he sits back in his chair, pulling me onto his lap. "How come you're out so early?" He asks as he brushes back a few loose hairs from my face.

"No appointments tonight! So I figured we could spend the extra time together."

He smirks at me, "All right. But I have to finish up something real quick. It shouldn't take too long.

"Oh fine." I pout, trying to get off his lap so he can finish, but he snakes one of his arms around my waist, keeping me there. I raise an eyebrow at him, but he just uses his free hand to pull my chin towards his in a long, slow kiss. I run my hands through his short hair, deepening the kiss, until I stop, remembering that we are in a room filled with cameras. I pull back, getting off his lap.

"Be quick!" I say as I run over to grab a chair to pull up beside him.

"You're no fun," I hear him teasingly mutter under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear. _Oh, I can be fun. Just you wait…_ I think to myself as I stare alongside him at the computer screen, trying to watch him type but I can't keep up. After a few minutes, I get up and walk around behind his desk, stretching my legs. I hear him tap rhythmically on the desk for a few seconds, which is a sign of him being deep in thought. I lean in close behind him, and kiss him on the back of the neck, right where it meets his shoulder blades. He pauses for a few seconds, and I continue to work my way up his neck.

He turns his head, so I can see the corner of his eye. "Hey now. You better watch it. I retaliate when provoked."

"You started it this time." I retort.

"And I plan on finishing it too." He replies. "But later, when I can give you my full and undivided attention."

"Perfect." I reply, sitting back in the chair. It takes him a few minutes to finish up whatever he's doing, but when he's done, he turns his chair to face me. I hand him a box of food, which hopefully hasn't gotten too cold by this point and open my own.

"You brought cake!" He excitedly says, going instantly for a bite of his favorite food. "I knew I kept you around for some reason."

"That's for after dinner, Four." I say, swatting at his fork. I'm the only one who knows his real name, but unless we are alone, I refer to him by his Dauntless title of choice. "And I'm going to ignore that last comment because I'm sure there are many more reasons that you keep me around."

"Innumerable." He smiles, putting another bite into his mouth. "Tell me about your day."

I sigh. Today wasn't the easiest day, but also certainly not the hardest that I've had, but at the same time I've been feeling a lot like this lately. "Do you ever wish you didn't work in the Control Room?" I ask.

He swallows the bite he's chewing. "Sometimes. But only the days when we have to do excruciatingly slow and painful system checks and other tasks of that sort. Most of the time, I really do enjoy it."

"Oh," I respond, taking another bite. He finishes up and sets the empty box on his desk.

"Talk to me, Tris. Are you having doubts about your profession?" He asks, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"Well, I…" I pause. "Yes. Is that bad?"

"No. You wouldn't be the first person to have doubts about it. Most people do change once or twice before they figure out where they want to be. But most of those people don't quite have the position that you do." He states.

"So it's more difficult for me to change career paths because I have a position?" I ask, confused.

"Yes and no." Tobias says. _Great,_ I think to myself as the worry starts to bubble up in my stomach. He continues, "Yes because most of the time, you'd be losing position, but no if you can find something with an equal or greater position. Does that make sense?"

"Why does it matter if I lose position?" I ask heatedly. Are we really having this discussion?

"It matters because you're ranked so high. You're the top of your initiation class. They're watching you, Tris. Always watching." Tobias says, leaning back into the chair and running his hand through his hair until it rests at the back of his neck. He understands. They're watching him too.

"I guess I should just stick with it. I just wish I was doing more to help people. I want my work to matter." At some point, I stopped eating, so I place the box back on the desk and pull one of my legs up on the chair with me, resting my chin on my knee.

"You know, you don't have to stick with it." He says calmly and reassuringly. I meet his eyes, which have been carefully observing me, just like always. "We can look to see what else is open. I'm sure we can find something. And if we can and you like it, then you can make the switch. I'm positive you'll exceed expectations at whatever you decide to do."

I laugh a little. "And as my boyfriend, you're obliged to say that."

"Well, yes." He smirks. "But I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it."

"You're too kind." I joke as he puts a finger to his lips.

"Don't say it too loud. I don't want it spread around that I'm some soft-hearted pansycake." He grabs my hand, lacing his fingers between mine. His hand is big and warm and rough and fits mine perfectly. He leads me to the hallway door. "Now where were we again?" He asks, referring to our earliest conversation.

"Something about your full and undivided attention?" I playfully reply.

"Oh yes. That's it."

* * *

I spent a good portion of the night in Tobias's room, laughing and kissing and rolling around, but as it got later, I had to leave so that I could finalize some work before my long day tomorrow. Sometimes I would sleep over in his room, but I had work to do tonight and I knew I wouldn't get it done if I was with him. He walked me through the cold hallways, and I was glad to have his warm hand holding mine. Christina's and my apartment wasn't too far away from his, but it was still nice to have him walk me back.

We stopped outside of my door and I turn to him, letting out a deep sigh. "I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow."

"I almost always wish that." He says, reaching his arms up to my shoulders and rubbing his thumbs along my arms. His touch is tender and it warms me up. He continues, "because then I could keep you all to myself for the rest of the night."

"I wish I could, but I have to get these plans done. I swear this job is worse than making nursing care plans. It's another reason to switch." I say rolling my eyes and he lifts my chin, raising it so that our lips can meet. I don't want him to go.

He pulls back slightly and his lips brush mine. "What are you doing for lunch tomorrow?"

"I was just planning on eating in the dining hall." I reply, opening my eyes again.

"Meet me in the control room for your break. I'll grab some food and we can look at new profession options for you." He says.

"Great. A working lunch." I retort with a smile.

"Yes, but you get to work through lunch with me and if we find something, maybe you won't be so bogged down with outside work and we can spend more time together. Really, I'm doing this for me." He smirks jokingly and I laugh.

"Sounds like a plan." I reply.

"And speaking of plans, you should probably get to work on yours. Get some sleep, too. Tomorrow's going to be a long day, but the weekend is almost here." He gives me one last kiss before I unlock the door.

"Goodnight," I say, shutting the door slowly as he watches me close it. I miss him already, but as soon as I turn around, Christina comes out of the bathroom.

"I'm staying at Will's tonight. Do you mind?" She asks, throwing some clothes into a little bag and walking back into the bathroom to get more items. It wouldn't matter if I said yes, because she would go anyways. I have no problem with it, though.

"No, not at all." I reply. "I have appointment plans to look over and finalize so I'll be working."

"Yuck. That's no fun." She says.

"Welcome to the life of a Level One Trainer." I say, slumping down into my chair and pulling out the files I dropped off over lunch. She comes back out of the bathroom and sits on her bed cross-legged.

"So what were you and Four up to? I didn't see you guys at dinner tonight. Doing a little 'multiplication'?" She asks suggestively. Christina has adapted more easily than I have to the Dauntless ways.

I turn around in the chair to face her. "No we have not been 'multiplying'" I use air quotes for emphasis. "Besides, I would have told you if we finally decided to."

"Let's be honest for a second. I would have to pull and pry to get that out of you. You wouldn't just give up that juicy information voluntarily." Christina says, matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, you're right." I reply bluntly, nodding my head.

"Thank you for your honesty." She replies mockingly and bows her head slightly – a tradition of her old faction. We burst into giggles and she gets off her bed and grabs her bag. "Well, while you sit here and work on those plans, I will be multiplying with Will… probably all night long." She says it with a skip in her step as she opens the door.

"I hope you and Will both have a really long day at work tomorrow!" I reply in jest, returning to my work and waving my hand in her general direction.

"At least I'll be glowing." She says. "You should try it sometime!" With that, the door shuts and I am left alone with my work. _Maybe_, I think to myself, _but probably not for a while_.

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**Have I mentioned how much I love Christina as a character? She is probably one of my favorites, you know, aside from Tris and Tobias. Anyway, look for the next chapter on Friday! It's already written! :)**

**Thanks for reading and please leave your input! **

**XO, Tara**


	3. Chapter 3

**[Be Brave] Chapter 3**

**Thanks for stopping by to read! And feel free to leave your input at the end. :) **

**Right now the plan is to tell this mostly from Tris's point of view, but who knows if that will change later on in the story. You may be curious and want to hear from others' points of view. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind.**

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Tris POV 

I'm already sitting in the Control Room when Tobias walks in with food in hand. "You're here early." He says, handing me my food.

"It was a rough morning. I was excited to get out of the training room." I reply.

"People are going to start wondering where we're running off to, now that we haven't been seen in the dining hall for two meals in a row." He says. "Not that I really mind." He leans in and gives me a kiss and I want so badly to continue and forget about our lunch plans, but we have a job at hand.

"No distractions right now. We have work to do." I say before I cheekily give him one more peck on the lips. "And I expect you to behave this time."

"I suppose I can do that… and I expect you not to be a tease." He catches me off-guard, pulling my face to his and kissing me first on the cheek, then on the corner of my lips, and then almost my lips, but he pulls back at the last second. He removes his hands from my face and turns to the computer.

It makes me laugh. "Who's the tease now?"

Smiling, he says, "Let's get to work." It takes him only a few seconds to pull up the database that has every member of Dauntless in it. It includes their current profession, profession history, class ranking, and more. Tobias seems to scroll through it fairly quickly. He pulls up another database and I can see that there are professions listed.

"What's this?" I ask pointing to the screen.

"This is a document that categorizes the various professions based on the rankings of individuals who claim that profession." Tobias says, not looking away from the screen as he continues typing. "In other words, it unofficially ranks the jobs and is an indicator of position and status."

"Oh, so this is what we're going to use to compare jobs?" I ask.

"Yes, but we also need the availability list. There we go." He pulls up the last screen and switches back and forth between the three. "Let's see. There really aren't a lot of higher-ranked jobs open right now." He continues scrolling and occasionally will type something. "Well it seems that the Head of Security for the Fence is looking for an assistant." I watch his face scrunch up like he's just eaten something sour. It's not ideal, but it is an option.

"And be that close to Peter? Nope." I say. "Next."

He continues on his hunt, giving me two more options, both of which sound no more appealing than my current profession. He starts tapping on the desk again, thinking. "There has to be something." He mutters to himself. A few more seconds of tapping and I watch his eyes widen slightly. He brings up another document, and I try looking over his shoulder to understand. He leans back in his chair, eyes locked on the screen.

"What?" I ask but he doesn't answer. "What is it, Four?"

"There is one possibility." He says before letting out a heavy breath. "Dauntless Ambassador to Abnegation. Apparently from the records we haven't had one in over a decade, which doesn't surprise me considering the protocol. Faction Ambassadors must be transfers from the faction they will be working with and they must be fully acclimated into their chosen faction. As you can tell, there aren't many former Abnegation here in Dauntless."

"Four, that's perfect! That means I would get to go visit Abnegation and see my family. I would get to work with my father!" I exclaim, suddenly filled with excitement.

"Yes, and unfortunately you'd also get to work with mine." The hesitation in his voice is enough that I notice it in my state of excitement. He's referring to Marcus. If I choose this profession, I will get to work with my father, but that also means that I will have to work with _him_.

I see a trace of worry flash through his eyes and I lower my voice to a whisper only he can hear. "Tobias, is this too much? Would it bother you if this is what I chose?"

"I don't want him to hurt you. I can't let him hurt you." He says. I watch his fist clench and I reach my hand out to cover it.

"If I did this, I will be working with a group of leaders from Abnegation. I won't ever be alone with him. Think of all the things I could do to improve relations with Abnegation. He's not going to hurt me. I promise." I say softly, giving him a smile. "Besides, don't you think I could take him down if he ever tried?" I reply.

"I have no doubt about it. I just don't even want to give him the chance." He replies, meeting my eyes again. "Think about it, Tris. This is your decision. It's a big one though, so don't rush."

"I will. Promise." I say, looking at the time. My lunch break is over. I stand and brush myself off. "I have to get back, but I'll see you tonight," I say.

Tobias gets up from his chair and pulls me into a hug, with one hand holding me close to him and the other running smoothly over my hair. He gives me a kiss on the forehead. "See you tonight." He says before returning to his desk to finish up whatever he was working on before.

* * *

Later that evening at dinner, Zeke announces that he and Uriah will be having a small get-together at their apartment that night.

"Tris, you have to let me help you get ready!" Christina says, clutching my arm in excitement.

"Who says we're going?" I ask her.

"We" she says gesturing to everyone at our table, "are all going. That includes you and Four." I look at Tobias and he nods. "Please?" She begs, drawing out the word. "I never get to dress you up and do your makeup."

"That's not true!" I quickly retort.

"It's more true than I want it to be." She counters just as quickly.

I look to Tobias for help. "Do it." He nudges me and smiles. "I like it when you get dressed up."

"You're no help!" I laugh, pushing him in the arm, causing him to chuckle before I turn back to Christina. "Fine. Fine, I will do it."

Before I can finish my sentence, she grabs my hand and we run back to our apartment. "You're going to look so gorgeous, Four will not be able to keep his eyes or hands off you!"

* * *

"Why couldn't I wear pants too?" I mutter to Christina, who is wearing the tightest leather pants her thin frame could fit into and a looser black tank with braided straps and decorative studs spaced throughout. We're walking to meet up with Will and Tobias, but it's taking a lot longer based on Christina's shoe of choice for me – moderate heels, but heels nonetheless.

"Because your legs are worth seeing. You've done so much work in the training room so you should show them off every chance you get." She says and she's right. They do look long and lean. I actually don't mind the skirt and shirt combo that Christina forced me into – a black one-shouldered sleeveless top that shows off my raven tattoos tucked into a high-waisted black short skirt that shimmers when I move. It's more that I have fun antagonizing her sometimes, like now. We round the corner and find Will. Christina immediately goes in for a kiss and I have to restrain from covering my eyes.

"All right, let's keep moving." I say as I watch Will and Christina clasp hands.

"Oh lighten up, Tris. I'm sure you'll be all over Four tonight." Will jokes and I make a face at him. The thought of seeing Tobias makes me pick up speed a little. He's waiting for us in the Pit, talking to a few of his coworkers. I watch him, casually leaning against one of the rock formations. He is clean-shaven and wearing one of his nicer leather jackets over his typical uniform of black jeans and a black t-shirt. Our eyes lock and he straightens up, no longer leaning against the wall, which causes some of his coworkers to look in our direction. Our eyes stay on each other until we are right in front of one another.

"Wow," He breathes, reaching out to finger one of the loose curls Christina added to my hair. He grabs my hand and gives me a little spin, causing me to stumble a bit, but his hand finds its way to the small of my back to steady me. "Tris, you look great." He uses his free hand to tilt my chin up towards his and gives me a small kiss on the lips.

"All right, let's keep moving!" Christina attempts to mimic my voice from earlier and Will can't help himself from laughing. Tobias and I both shoot them a look.

"Ready?" He asks, taking my hand in his own.

"Ready." I reply giving it a light squeeze. The four of us make our way across the Pit in the direction of Zeke and Uriah's apartment. As we get closer, we can hear the music bumping from down the hall. As Will opens the door and we walk in, we realize that it is far larger than a "small get-together."

"I thought this was supposed to be small?" Christina asks incredulously.

"They have no concept of small." Tobias replies to her, as we maneuver our way around people.

"It's when he says that he's hosting a party that you should come with a quick exit plan at the ready." Will adds, which makes Christina and I laugh. We stop along one of the walls, trying to orient ourselves in the space. Tobias asks if I want a drink and I nod, watching him sweep boldly through the crowd of people with Will not far behind.

"I told you Four would love it." Christina says to me.

"I know. Thank you for doing that for me." I reply back to her.

"Anytime, darling. I love doing it." She smiles. Will and Tobias return quickly and hand us our drinks.

"Marlene's choice." Tobias whispers in my ear as I take a sip of the red drink in my hand. It is sweet and tastes like cherries.

"That's good." I say and before I know it, it's gone and I need another. Tobias grabs my hand and leads me over to where Marlene is happily mixing drinks for everyone. As she's handing me another one, there is a large crash. Tobias and I both turn. In the center of the room, there are two guys rolling around throwing punches at each other. A crowd has gathered around to watch, most of them pumping their fists and letting off raucous hoots and cheers. Tobias takes a half step in front of me. I recognize the two guys.

"It's Zeke and Uriah." I whisper in his ear.

He chuckles, shaking his head and whispers back, "Welcome to Dauntless."

* * *

Many hours and drinks later, Tobias and I are sitting on one of the couches, playing with each other's hands. Tobias and I tend to get a little handsy with each other when there's alcohol involved, but at this point in the night, it's starting to wear off… or at least I think it is.

"Wouldn't it be funny if you only had four fingers?" I giggle, holding up his hand to his face for him to examine. "Get it? Because your name is Four and you would only have four fingers?!" I can't stop giggling and now my head is spinning and somehow ends up on his shoulder. "Ouch." I say on impact, even though it doesn't hurt.

"I think we've reached the cut-off point." Tobias says, which makes me laugh again.

"You can't do that. I want cherries!" I say, trying to get up from the couch, but Tobias's hands grab my hips and pull me back down, my head knocking against the back of it.

"To-Four!" I turn towards him. "I just want one more. ONE." I draw out the last word and hold one finger in his face for emphasis but he pushes it away.

"You've had enough tonight." He says calmly. "You can have another tomorrow if you want." I pout when he says this. I am clearly more intoxicated than he is, so I should probably listen to him.

"Fine." I look over to another couch where I see Will and Christina making out. "They're going to have sex tonight." I whisper to Tobias and giggle, trying to cover my mouth but it doesn't work. He shifts next to me and chuckles a bit.

"You, my dear, need some water and some sleep. Come on." He gets up and holds out his hands to me, which I take. He pulls me up easily, but my head starts spinning, and he puts his hands on my hips to steady me. "Can you walk?"

"Do I have legs?" I ask, more sarcastically than I intend to, but he just smiles and leads me to the door. It is moments like these when I do not deserve his patience. He opens the door and I stumble out of it, grabbing the wall for assistance. Suddenly a fit of giggles comes out of nowhere and I find myself slowly sliding down the wall until I am sitting on the floor. I don't even know what's funny, but I don't stop. I see Tobias lean over me, his hands on his knees.

"Tris, I'm going to bring you back to my place. Is that alright?" He asks.

"Yes. Why yes, it is." I say, looking up into his eyes but making no move to get up. His eyes… I think they're actually swirling. Is that supposed to happen?

He must see me intently studying his face, because he breaks eye contact with me. He reaches down to take my shoes off. With heels in one hand, he swoops his arms around my back and under my legs. "This is going to be a long night." He mutters to himself as he carries me off in his arms with my legs swinging freely in the cool air.

* * *

**Oops. Looks like Tris may have had a little too much to drink! But at least she has Tobias there to take care of her. I imagine him having extreme patience and I think this shows it. **

**I wanted to include more in this chapter, but it was getting to be too long so I made some cuts. The beginning of this story might seem slow (it does to me right now), but these first chapters are merely setting up for the action that is coming in a few chapters. Promise! :)**

**Thanks for reading and please leave your input! (Please. Ok, thanks!)**

**XO, Tara **


	4. Chapter 4

**[Be Brave] Chapter 4**

**Hello! Thanks for the follows and faves! I'm still waiting to hear from anyone with reviews...?**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. I've been having fun writing them. This one has a lot of little moments that are setting up for later! I'm excited! Also, I'm playing around with different section breaks, which is why they look different. I think this makes it easier to read though.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind.**

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Tris POV

My stomach lurches and I feel something sloshing inside me as I make my way quickly to the bathroom. I don't bother to turn on any of the lights – I don't have time – but I manage to make it to the toilet before I empty the contents of my stomach. I lean over the bowl heaving and spitting out the taste in my mouth. All I see is red. With a sigh, I shut my eyes, my glistening face still over the bowl in case another round should make an appearance. My body shakes until I feel a warm hand on my back. The curtain of my hair around the bowl is pulled back by another hand just in time for me to expel any other liquid that was previously in my system. After a few minutes, I pull my face up. I feel his eyes on me, but I don't meet them.

"You done now?" Tobias asks calmly.

"I'm sorry." I whisper back. I don't want to cry, but I'm so embarrassed that he is seeing me in this state and dealing with it.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He replies and adds with a small laugh, "I was a wreck the first time I had more to drink than I could handle."

I feel the corners of my mouth turn up slightly. "I bet it took a lot more than I had."

"It did, but that's not the point. The point is knowing your limits and this is how you learn." He brushes back a few sweaty pieces of hair from my face. "How are you feeling now?"

"Awful." I reply, reaching my hand up to my throbbing head. "I will never drink again."

He goes to the sink to get a glass of water and a small hand towel, handing them to me along with a few small pills. "This will make you feel better." I instantly swallow them and sip the water slowly as the unpleasant taste goes away. Tobias walks back into the bathroom and hands me one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. I didn't even realize I was still in my outfit from that night, but I am gracious that he has given me something else to wear. He shuts the bathroom door almost all the way and waits outside as I change. As I put them on, I am surrounded and comforted by his scent and the softness of his clothing.

When I walk out, Tobias is leaning against his headboard with his eyes closed. I shuffle over to the bed and crawl under his quilt. I feel him move so that he is right behind me and he uses one arm to pull me closer to him. His warmth is relaxing and I feel myself melting into him, matching my breaths to his. "Get some sleep." He whispers in between kisses placed along my neck.

"What time is it?" I manage to ask while relishing the touch of his lips on my skin.

"Not quite morning. We still have a few hours to get a good rest in."

_Good_, I think to myself, _I will definitely need it_. "Thank you." I whisper and he gives me a reassuring squeeze as I snuggle in closer to him and drift off to sleep again.

**-x-**

Sunlight drifts into the room and as soon as I crack my eyes open, I shut them again. I can feel my heartbeat pulsing in my head and I groan, flipping over towards Tobias. My hands are met with an empty bed that is still slightly warm. He must have just gotten up. I sit up slowly this time, pulling my knees to my chest and leaning my head on them. I sit there for a few minutes until I hear his voice.

"Good morning." He sounds chipper. I just grunt in response as he makes his way toward me. "Rough night last night?" He asks, but I can sense that he's getting a little enjoyment out of this.

"Rough would be an understatement." I reply. "What even happened? I remember going to Zeke and Uriah's last night, but not much after that."

"You don't remember?" His eyebrow quirks as a smirk appears on his face. "Maybe I'll keep that my secret."

My head shoots up. "Tobias, what did I do?" He just stands there smirking at me. "What did I do?" I repeat. What _did_ I do? It can't be that bad…

He closes the rest of the distance between us and stands in front of me. "You're a little frisky one, Tris."

"We didn't –" I start, not wanting to hear the answer.

"No, not that." Tobias counters quickly. "Call me old-fashioned, but I'd like for my lady to be coherent throughout that. Sorry, I shouldn't have started with that. What I meant to say – here's what happened." I think I threw him a little off-guard with that, but at least I can relax now. I know he'd never do anything without my permission, but anything could've happened last night when I wasn't in the right state of mind. "You were highly intoxicated and I didn't want to leave you alone in that state, so I brought you back to my apartment. You were wanting to do certain things and I wasn't going to let you, but before you could argue with me, you fell asleep."

"That's it?" I ask. "Tobias, you made it sound more dramatic than it actually was." I toss one of his pillows at him and he catches it.

"You tried to take my pants off me." He responds nonchalantly and I feel my face heat up rapidly. I am at a loss for words. "It's ok, Tris. I wasn't going to let you. C'mon, let's go get some food." He says, changing the topic.

"I don't know if I can walk." I reply.

"Well, your legs seem to be working just fine and food is the best cure after a night like last night." He says. "Besides, the best part is getting to see everyone else in this state, too. It's almost a form of Dauntless bonding." He smiles, leading me out the door towards food.

When we arrive at the dining hall, most of our friends are gathered around, although some are looking better than others. We sit down between Lynn and Will.

"Did you even drink anything last night, Four?" Will jokes as Christina groans beside him, her head between her hands.

"I know He did because I was making him drinks all night long." Marlene states. "Some of us just know how to handle our liquor better." Will smirks at her comments and continues to mindlessly stir whatever is on his plate.

"You're still young. You'll learn." Tobias replies, as Uriah and Zeke stumble towards the table. "But some of us never will."

**-x-**

A few days later, I find myself standing outside a door that leads to the offices of the Dauntless leaders. It is located in the top ring of the Pit. Staring at the knob, I decide there is no turning back now that I've made my decision, so I enter. Inside the door is a small waiting area with a set of stairs leading to a larger area. I walk up the stairs, in awe of the room around me. My hand brushes over the large acid-washed concrete table that takes up a majority of the space; it is smooth to the touch. The wall directly behind the table is entirely made up of industrial glass windows, allowing for a great view of the city. It is a view that I don't often see from inside the compound so I spend a minute taking it in.

"Beautiful, isn't it." A chilling voice states from behind me. When I turn around, Max is standing there, his hands clasped behind his back.

"It is. I don't get to see it often. I'm –" I start.

"Tris Prior." He replies. "I know who you are."

"Right." I respond. Of course he does.

"Why have you come here, Tris?" He asks curiously, making his way towards me. There is a glint in his eye that makes me uncomfortable.

"I want to switch my profession." I respond boldly.

"Really?" He muses. "Curious. Very curious. And to what would you like to switch to?"

"Dauntless is in need of an ambassador to Abnegation. According to the records, there hasn't been one in over a decade. I want to be that ambassador." I state, hoping that this is the right way to go about it. There is a pause in speech and he emits a low laugh as he begins to pace around the table.

"So you've been surveying the records. You do know that is confidential information, don't you?" Max challenges. Tobias didn't mention that part to me.

"The record that I reviewed was a public document that can be found on any computer in the city." I retort, surprised at my resourceful thinking. It was more or less true.

"Very well." Max replies. "I must review with the leaders of both Abnegation and Dauntless. Then we will inform you of our decision."

"When will I know of your decision?" I ask, watching him turn the last corner of the table until he stands in front of me. I resist the urge to step back from him. I will not back down now.

"We will make an announcement. You will know soon." He says, never breaking eye contact. I nod curtly and turn on my heel, making my way towards the door leading to the Pit. I stop when his voice cuts through the tense air. "Remember, Tris: faction before blood."

I turn to answer him. "Always." I reply, standing firmly in my spot. I will not let him think I have ulterior motives for choosing this path. I want to help improve relations between the two factions – it just so happens that doing so includes working with my parents. He returns a nod and I take that as my cue to leave. Once I shut the door behind me, I let out the nervous breath I was holding in. _I did it_.

**-x-**

"Of course I handle my alcohol better!" Uriah slams his cup on the table. "Who here thinks that I could hit more targets than Zeke after a few drinks?" He asks. Tonight, the dining hall is loud and filled with laughter and other boisterous noises. It is something that I have grown fond of in my time here.

"Are we really still on this?" Lynn asks, trying to sound uninterested. "Really you two are both pansycakes when it comes to alcohol."

As the others banter back and forth around us, Tobias turns to me. "How did it go, today?"

"I think it went well. Or at least I hope so." Then I lower my voice so only he can hear. "You didn't tell me that those documents we looked at were confidential."

"I didn't think you'd mention it." He replies. "The ones we looked at are, but there are also others that are public so anyone could have found out that information eventually."

"Attention!" Tobias and I turn to see Max and the other leaders in the middle of the dining hall.

"ATTENTION!" A deep voice bellows menacingly, this time belonging to Eric. It takes a few minutes for the Dauntless to calm down enough to listen.

Max begins, "We have an announcement to make. Today, we have reinstated a position in the representation of our faction. For the first time in over a decade, we have an ambassador to Abnegation. I present our ambassador," He turns in my direction and I watch hundreds of eyes follow his hand, pointing directly at me. "Tris."

Lynn, Uriah, and Zeke let out loud hoots and pump their fists in celebration as Shauna, Lauren, and Marlene clap along with the rest of the Dauntless.

"Congrats, Tris!" Will says merrily, clapping me on the shoulder.

"You didn't tell me about this!" Christina says, embracing me. "But that's alright because it's so exciting!"

"I was going to tonight. I didn't think they would make their decision so quickly." I reply. I can't help but smile. I cannot wait to start working with Abnegation. I will get to see my parents, finally. My eyes start to tear with joy at the thought.

I turn to Tobias. "Congratulations." He says. "You're going to do great things, Tris." I don't hear any hesitation in his voice, only support. Then again, I know that he would still prefer that I stay as far away from Marcus as possible. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it, mouthing "thank you" at him.

"Hey!" Uriah interrupts. "But this means that I won't have someone to keep me sane during Training classes. You're leaving me!"

I laugh in response. "Don't worry, Uriah. I'll still be around. Promise."

**-x-**

I stand on the platform feeling the wind twirl my hair around my face. In the few days that have passed since Max announced my appointment, I have moved into a small office, which I will use when I have work to do within the compound. Otherwise, I will be out in the city meeting with Abnegation leaders and other ambassadors. Today is the first day that I will be leaving the compound to journey into Abnegation. My stomach knots itself equally with excited and nervous energy.

Tobias brushes some of the hairs from my face. "You nervous?"

"Terrified." I reply, "but also excited. I don't know what I'm going to say when I see my father. The last time I saw him, he was so disappointed that I had chosen Dauntless. What if this is a mistake?"

"Don't doubt yourself for a moment. I'm sure he's proud of you, especially for becoming an ambassador to your old faction." Tobias reassures me.

"You're right." I say, releasing a nervous breath. I hear the train approaching and reach up on my tiptoes to plant a sweet kiss on his lips.

"Good luck. Be brave, Tris." He says releasing me. I run alongside the quickly approaching train and grab the handles, smoothly pulling myself into the moving locomotive. Leaning out the open door, I wave to Tobias and his figure gets smaller and smaller as the train speeds away from my home.

_Home_, I think to myself. It's funny how in the matter of a year, something as foundational in life as a home can completely change.

As the train eventually approaches Abnegation, I grab the handles next to the door and lean out of the train over nothing but moving ground. It is an exhilarating feeling, almost like I'm flying. My heartbeat quickens in anticipation and excitement as I take it in. I pull myself back in, preparing my jump onto the platform. I don't have to time it as perfectly as I do in the Dauntless sector, but I also don't want to stumble on my first jump into Abnegation. With a bit of momentum, I'm out the door and land soundly on the platform.

I stand taking in the familiar sight around me. There are some people quietly buzzing about, but not loud enough to draw attention to themselves. It is midday, and the sunlight is absorbed into the gray cement of the houses, creating a memorable warmth. I make my way through the streets toward the main building. As I walk in, I am greeted by an old friend.

"Susan?" I exclaim. "What are you doing here?"

"Beatrice!" She responds. "It's wonderful to see you. Tell me how you are."

"It's Tris now, actually." I reply. "And I've been really great. I'm an ambassador for my faction. You must work here now?"

"Yes, I do. I'll be the one leading you to the meeting room. Please, follow me." She turns toward an elevator and steps aside to let me enter first. We take the elevator to the top floor and when the doors open, we walk down a long hallway until we reach a door at the very end. "It's just in through this door." Susan says as she opens the door for me.

I look inside to a sea of gray and watch many pairs of eyes land on me. I search the room until I lock eyes with warm ones that are familiar and comforting. I watch a smile appear on his face and my face lights up too.

"Dad."

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**Aww, a reunion for Tris and her father! How exciting! I know there was a lot going on in this chapter, but I wanted to lump it together to get the action in motion. There's more goodness coming in the future chapters. And just wait till you meet some of the new characters I'm introducing. I'm so excited, I might just write some more now. **

**And now that you've read it, feel free to leave some feedback! Reviews are always greatly appreciated. (Pretty please!) **

**XO, Tara**


	5. Chapter 5

**[Be Brave] Chapter 5**

**Sorry about the minor hiatus. Midterms killed me! But I just started spring break so I have an entire week to relax and write. Anyway, here's the chapter. **

**Also, I started rereading **_**Divergent**_** and I picked up on so many details I missed the first time! But it's definitely helping with trying to keep "Be Brave" as on par with characters and details as possible. I definitely recommend it! **

**One last thing… happy opening weekend and I hope you all enjoy the movie! I did! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind.**

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Tris POV

_I look inside to a sea of gray and watch many pairs of eyes land on me. I search the room until I lock eyes with warm ones that are familiar and comforting. I watch a smile appear on his face and my face lights up too. _

"_Dad."_

The men and women in the room stand to greet me, bowing their heads as I pass. I return the head bow, a sign of respect among the Abnegation, and exchange a few short words politely albeit quickly. I recognize a few of them; most I do not know, but I will learn soon enough. Finally, I stand before my father. Instead of bowing his head, he opens his arms and I dive into them. It is not customary here to give hugs, but I don't care. It has been too long since I have seen him.

He pulls back, holding me at an arm's length distance. "Beatrice," He says. "Look at you, all grown. I'm so proud of you." His words are everything I want to hear and more. I can't help but tear up at this tender moment.

"Beatrice Prior. Welcome to Abnegation. We're delighted to have you as an ambassador." Marcus steps into view and bows his head. I do my best to stop my eyes from narrowing in disgust as I return the head bow. His cold eyes probe me, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering who he really is. We break eye contact and he addresses the rest of the leaders. "Beatrice Prior, everyone. Please, take a seat." He motions toward a chair on his left.

"Actually, it's Tris now." I state and the others nod in accordance. I sit down across directly across from my father and the meeting begins.

**-x-**

After sitting in the conference room with the leaders, I finally got to see what my father does on a daily basis. He is well respected among his peers; I can only hope to have a semblance of that rapport with the Abnegation as well. I walk through the familiar cracked and worn streets with my father, who has invited me to come visit my mother as well. The last rays of sunlight stream between the buildings and I see lights turn on through the few windows on the houses, signaling the beginning of the day's end. We walk in a welcome silence, enjoying each other's presence.

We walk up the steps leading into my childhood home in unison. On the inside, everything is still neatly in its place, but there is a certain aura missing that must have come with Caleb and my transfer. My mother is preparing dinner for my father in the kitchen when I surprise her.

"Mom!" I exclaim, and she turns around in time for me to engulf her in my arms. She drops the kitchen knife in her hand and embraces me fully.

"Beatrice! What a surprise!" She laughs joyfully. "Will you stay for dinner?"

"I really want to, but I have to return tonight." I reply sadly.

"Well then we'll plan another time. I will make something special for you." Her smile warms my heart and I want so badly in this moment to stay.

"That would be great. Thank you." I reply. I spend a few more minutes conversing with my parents until the night sky takes over.

"It's so good to see you." My mother says, giving me one last hug and a kiss on the forehead before she and my father send me on my way.

"I'll be back soon." I reply, waving and walking in the direction of the platform. As I ride the train through the city that night, everything feels like it's finally falling into place.

It's a shame and a blessing these perfect moments don't last forever.

**-x-**

Over the course of the next few weeks, I find myself mostly doing research in my office on current policy and past relations with Abnegation. Being a faction ambassador means that I have to work more closely with Dauntless leadership. The days when I'm called into meetings with them to report back to them are not my favorite, but they are necessary. My favorite days are the few ones when I get to go into the field – into Abnegation.

Today, I will attend a faction-wide meeting of all the faction ambassadors. These are held five times a year so that each faction may equally host them. I have met the three other Dauntless ambassadors, but I haven't met any ambassadors from the other factions. I can feel a tinge of excited nerves pooling in my belly as the four of us ride the train into Candor – the host faction for today's meeting. I have never been to Candor, but thankfully the rest of them have so I won't have to wander around the sector alone.

Upon jumping from the train, we jog toward a large and tall building. At some point it probably served another purpose, but I can't make it out from the missing letters. I'll have to ask one of the others later. We enter the building and make for the stairs, going up a few flights. It's hard not to notice the contrast of the black and white because it seems to be everywhere, from the clothing of the members in the lobby to the crest marking the floor. The four of us enter a room, almost full from the looks of it. The colorful clothing of the Amity and Erudite ambassadors sticks out against the black and white tiles of the floor as they cheerfully converse. Even the gray of the Abnegation ambassadors sticks out against the décor. And although it would seem that the Candor ambassadors would blend in with their own colors, their cutthroat honesty and outspoken nature wouldn't allow it. Then again, they've never really been the wallflower sort.

I observe the members in the room, finding my seat as our host ambassadors pound a gavel to call us to order. An older man with long, freely flowing hair next to me leans over whispering, "Hey! That's not your seat."

"But – " I start pointing at the placard before me.

"That's been my footrest for the past ten years! Where am I supposed to put them now?"

"The floor typically works." I respond. "At least for most people."

From his clothing, I can tell that he's Amity, but from the trace of tattoo that peeks out from beneath his shirt sleeve onto the back of his hand, I realize that he must have been born Dauntless. He chuckles heartily and smiles. "Nah, I'm just kidding, sister. Welcome to the club! My name's Lee."

"Tris." I respond at the same time the hosts call out my name, announcing me to the group. I stand and look around the room, before taking my seat again.

"I didn't think Stiffs still transferred to Dauntless." He comments as the first order of business is brought to the table. I never thought I would hear the nickname I earned during my initiation again.

"Aren't Amity supposed to be kind?" I ask.

"It doesn't mean I haven't lost the boldness I learned growing up." He responds.

"Well then I guess we're all full of surprises." I respond back with a smirk.

"I like you. You've got spunk, sister." He says.

"Will you please quiet down. I can't hear what we're discussing." The hissing voice comes from a tall younger man with curly brown hair and glasses perched on a nose too thin for his face. Erudite, no doubt.

"Benedict, man, we're just having a little chat. Calm down. No need to get all upset about it." Lee responds putting his hand on Benedict's shoulder as a peaceful gesture, but he shrugs it off.

"Fine. But please, I need to concentrate." He returns to his diligent note taking.

"Benny and I get along well." Lee whispers quietly to me with a smile. Over the next few hours, in between topics, Lee shares more about himself with me. He never liked the fighting that the Dauntless so routinely practiced. Peace, he said, is the only way for a person to find their true self. Upon transferring to Amity, he became fascinated with nature and he attributed that to his mellow demeanor. He did confide in me that he still has moments where other Dauntless qualities want to come out which is why he chose to become the ambassador for Dauntless. At that moment when I realized that he understood on some level the conflict in my mind, I knew I had made a friend.

**-x-**

I rode the train back to Dauntless going over the business from the meeting in my mind. We got through our agenda, but most of the time was spent with Erudite and Abnegation ambassadors arguing. Tensions have become rather high between the two factions recently. The tensions were prominent last year when I was going through my initiation – it was hard enough having to go through it without hearing Peter and Molly reading the reports discrediting my father and my old faction. They came to a standstill for a few months, but now it has gotten worse. As the ambassador to Abnegation, this conflict has affected me as well.

The moon is high in the sky by the time we reach the compound. I tiredly walk through the hallways on my way to Tobias's apartment. I haven't seen him all day and I wonder if he's sleeping right now. As I round the corner, I feel a hand clutch at my elbow and pull me. My body tenses and I immediately throw my other elbow back at whoever has me in their grasp. My elbow is caught upon impact and I hear him whisper, "Tris, it's just me!"

My body relaxes and I let out a large breath, bringing my hand to my chest to slow my heartbeat. "You can't do that to me. Last time that happened I almost – "

"You're right. I shouldn't have done that." He lets out a small laugh. "But I have a surprise for you. Follow me."

He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together, leading me through a passage I haven't explored yet. "Where exactly are we going?" I ask.

He turns his head to me, a boyish grin splaying across his face. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." I can't help but smile and I squeeze his hand.

Eventually, we head through a door and out onto a rooftop, standing side by side. It's one I haven't been on before. The tallest buildings in the city look farther away than normal and although there are no lit windows nearby, it is easy to see because the roof is painted in the pale moonlight. I look up and admire the stars.

"It's beautiful." I whisper, completely in awe. I've never seen them so clearly.

"Yes, it is." Tobias whispers back. I turn my head to see him looking at me. I reach my hands up to his face and my thumbs trace the hollows created from the shadow of the moon. They trail down to his neck and shoulders and then back up. His hands find my hips, pulling me closer so that they lock. I feel his long fingers sneak under the hem of my shirt and they are warm on my skin. A cool breeze flutters around us and I shiver, but I can't tell if it's from the air or the electricity between us. We both slowly move our heads in until our lips crash in the middle. It is slow at first, but picks up pace quickly and I have to remind myself of what we want.

"Tobias," I whisper against his lips. It takes every ounce of strength in me. He sighs, and gives me one last peck on the lips before turning me around so my back is against his chest. He rests his head on my shoulder. "Will it ever get easier?" I ask.

"I don't want it to." He replies, kissing my cheek. He points upward at the sky and my eyes follow the line of his arm to one of the brightest stars tonight. "Do you know what that is?"

"The stars?"

"That constellation." He pauses, taking my hand in his and drawing out the constellation for me to see. "That is called Orion. Legend says that he's the greatest warrior and protector in the sky."

"The ultimate Dauntless," I comment.

"Exactly." Tobias replies.

"How do you know this? I don't remember learning about this in school." I say.

"One night during my initiation, I ended up here. I thought I was alone, but there was an older woman out here too. I turned to leave, but she told me to stay. She did most of the talking that night, telling me about the story." He pauses. "She taught me that the bravery and courage that he has is the same that we believe in." I feel his arms tighten around my small frame. "Sometimes, I come out here when I need to think."

We stand in silence for a few moments, just looking at the constellation. "Can I ask you something?" I ask and he nods. "Who was she?"

"I don't know." He sighs. "Sometimes, I think I catch glimpses of her in the Pit but then she disappears. It's just a flash and then she's gone. I never knew her name."

I lean my head back against his chest and close my eyes, reveling in the warmth. I get so comfortable that Tobias starts to laugh when he feels me yawn. "Time for bed." He says ushering me back inside. "Tomorrow, they're announcing who gets to train this year's initiates."

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**It's getting to the good stuff! And we met some new characters in this chapter, which is awesome that they're finally coming to life. There should be another chapter posted within the week and more coming soon. Enjoy! **

**And as always, I appreciate any follows, faves, and reviews! **

**XO, Tara**


	6. Chapter 6

**[Be Brave] Chapter 6**

**Thank you so much for all the love! So many faves, follows, and for the first time in forever… reviews! I completely appreciate all the input given. Thank you, thank you!**

**As promised, another chapter! I got far too excited and couldn't wait any longer to post it. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind.**

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Tris POV

Metal cups bang loudly on the tables in the dining hall as we start to chant in unison. Today is the day that the initiate trainers will be announced for this year. There are only about twenty of us in the room – all the top of our initiate classes – but it is still loud and rambunctious as usual. Even the smallest gatherings between the Dauntless get rowdy.

"Listen up!" The oldest leader calls out as Max steps forward to speak. We calm down enough to listen, but some still excitedly whisper to each other.

"As you know, Choosing Day is upon us in three days. We will have a new set of initiates coming and we must train them according to our ways. This task is not for the faint of heart – " He starts.

"We are Dauntless!" A man with a pierced tongue whoops, throwing his fist in the air and the rest of us cheer along.

Max continues, "…which is why we call upon our elite – you – the top ranking members from classes past to train these initiates. As a group, we have decided who will be the trainers. Please note that this will take the place of your primary profession for the next ten weeks. You will be asked to do a small amount of work with your primary profession, but it should by no means take the place of this crucial task. That is to be understood completely. Now, let's start with our Dauntless-born trainers."

"Bets on Zeke." Tobias whispers under his breath to me, squeezing my hand.

"Our Dauntless-born trainers will be Lauren and Zeke." Max states as cheers erupt again on the floor. I see some members clapping Zeke on the shoulder in celebration and Uriah almost tackles his brother with pride. Zeke and Lauren pound fists before he throws his arm around her shoulder laughing. They've been good friends for many years and they'll work well together. I'm happy for Zeke – it's a step in the direction he wants to go and it helps that he'll be training with Lauren since she's already had experience doing it.

"Who do you think it'll be for transfers?" Tobias whispers.

"Bets on you." I whisper back to him, squeezing his hand too.

"And you too," he adds.

"And finally, our transfer trainers will be Four and Eric." Max finishes and the same celebratory motions start for mostly Tobias but also for Eric.

A small tinge in me feels disappointment in not being chosen for the position, but it is rare that a first year member, even at the top of their class, will train the following year's initiates. On the other hand, the larger part of me is extremely relieved for having not been chosen, seeing as I have too much to worry about with Abnegation and the whole ordeal currently with Erudite…

"Tris, you ok?" Someone says bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah," I respond, drawing myself out of my daze. I turn toward Tobias and give him a quick kiss. "Congrats, Four! You deserve it."

He smiles back. I know he's excited to be training initiates again. "I wish you were the one I was training them with. I thought they would pick you."

"Yeah, it would have been fun." I muse. "But I have too much to worry about with what's going on in Abnegation and all, so it's probably best that it worked out this way." He nods as I finish talking. Maybe another year we'll be able to train initiates together.

**-x- **

I toss some papers onto my desk and lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling, recalling something that was said at the faction ambassador meeting.

"_We all know Abnegation has a history of hiding certain things. What would stop them from hiding anything else from us?" _

What exactly were they talking about? What would Abnegation have to hide?

I spent the entire day searching through the few materials we have in the compound, to no avail. I haven't found anything that I thought could logically fit that statement. There hasn't even been a lead of some sort. In addition, I haven't had time to go into Abnegation yet either, especially since today was the day of aptitude testing for the city. That means that tomorrow, new initiates arrive in the compound, ready to do exactly what I had to do a year ago. Everyone is looking for a place where they belong, and hopefully some of them realize before it's too late that Dauntless has some minor qualifications before you actually become a member.

I straighten up the papers so that they're not completely strewn across my desk when there's a knock at the door. "Come in," I say finishing up my tidying when I see Max enter.

"Tris." He states and I feel my body go rigid as his chilling tone shoots through me.

"Max. Can… can I help you with something?" I offer, not entirely sure of why he is standing in my meager office.

"Tris, I have an important task for you." Max says, his eyes drifting down to the papers on my desk, probing them quickly and suspiciously before they return to my face. "I need you to help train the transfer initiates."

_Huh?_ Is all I can think as I stand there dumbfounded. "But you already have Four and Eric training them. That should be enough. You don't need me."

"On the contrary." He replies. "We do need you. In addition to Eric and Four."

"But why?" I ask, still not sure where he's going with this.

"With the rising tensions in Erudite and Abnegation, we are expecting a larger increase in transfers." He states. I know this is not truly the reason. If it was, we would have had another trainer last year too.

"With all due respect, I don't think I'm truly needed." I boldly respond.

His laugh is unsettling and forceful. "Although I'm asking you to do this, I think you'll find that if you don't cooperate, it might not… end well for you."

I try to keep my eyes from widening. Did he really just threaten me? There is so much that I need to do and to research right now. I don't have time for this. However, it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice, so I nod despite my disagreement. "I understand. I'm in."

"Excellent." He responds. "And I trust that you will relay the information to Four, as I will to Eric. Best of luck with the initiates. I'll be watching."

I continue to stare at the door he just exited a few moments ago, trying to process everything that just happened. I will be training initiates along with Tobias and Eric. It should be fun, at least the part about spending my days with Tobias, maybe not as much with Eric… so then why does it not feel like it yet?

**-x-**

I decide to pack up early for the day. There's not much more I can do, considering I was just volun-told to train the initiates starting the next day. The tinge of disappointment I had felt when I wasn't originally picked replaced itself with a load of doubt, weighing heavily on my mind. I needed to go talk to someone.

Instead of my normal routes to the dining hall, or either my or Tobias's apartment, I make my way through a set of less familiar halls ending up in the tattoo parlor. It's not too busy in there at the time. I see Tori in the back of the room cleaning her materials.

"Tori." I call out, trying to get her attention. "Are you busy right now?"

She turns her head over her shoulder and continues to clean. "You again." She comments and I see the corners of her mouth twinge upwards in a smirk. "I suppose I have a few minutes." She wipes her hand and we walk over toward some of the chairs in her section of the parlor. I sit down and think about what I want to say or how to start it. I just see her raise her eyebrows, waiting for me to say anything.

"Can I tell you what just happened to me?" I ask her and she nods. I spend the next few minutes recounting the story of who was picked originally and Max visiting me and telling me I had to do what he said.

"That's very strange." Tori muses.

"I know. Is he allowed to threaten people like that?" I say incredulously.

"No, I mean the fact that he's having three of you training them. That's never happened before. Ever. It's hard enough with two – I would know." She rolls her eyes.

"Wait – you trained initiates too?" I ask. The thought never occurred to me.

She waves it off as if it was nothing. "That was years ago. It's been so long." She pauses. "They're watching you."

"I know –"

"No, it's almost a test this time. You need to stay alert at all times, Tris. More so than usual. And remember," She leans in, lowering her voice so much that I can barely hear what she says next, "you can never let them know about your Divergence."

"But it hasn't been a problem yet." I whisper back.

"That doesn't make it go away." She responds back and sits up again, and looks around. "Stay alert. I'll let you know if I hear anything."

I watch her stand and greet a customer looking for some fresh ink. This conversation is now closed and I feel no better about the situation. The only thing giving me any consolation is that now at least somebody knows. I stand up and head out the parlor. Time to break the news to Tobias. Maybe he can help me feel better about the situation.

**-x-**

"A first year intiate trainer? Tris that's huge!" Marlene exclaims after I break it to my friends sitting around the table.

"Way to go!" Lynn claps me on the shoulder a little harder than I was expecting.

"Can you imagine what tomorrow will be like, with all the little initiates running through here scared out of their minds?" Uriah laughs. "I want to make them soil their pants. They don't know what's coming!"

"Yeah, that's about how it went last year." Christina added. "I wonder if we'll know anyone?"

"I'd say the statistics are pretty good for at least one of us knowing one of the transfer initiates, based on the range of factions we transferred from. Unless, of course, they're from Amity." Will adds.

"Please. Amity transfers are becoming about as rare as Stiffs nowadays. All that peace-loving, tree-hugging, hippy dippy nonsense." Uriah pretends to gag. "What a load of crap!"

"Hey, don't completely discredit their way of life." I counter. "I met one of the Amity ambassadors yesterday and he was really interesting."

"If by interesting you mean completely zany and out of their minds. They're whack jobs… completely nuts!" Uriah throws his hands in the air for emphasis and looks around the table for support. "Am I right? Tell me I'm right."

"He could probably still beat you in a fight." I point out.

"Doubt it." Uriah draws out the words rolling his eyes.

"I believe it." Zeke comments, flinging a piece of potato at Uriah's face. Uriah wipes it from his cheek and lunges in his direction. The Dauntless have certain areas of the compound where fighting isn't allowed, and this is one of them. Thankfully, Tobias steps in between the two, pushing the brothers apart.

His eyebrows are knit in a mix confusion and amusement. "Did I miss something?" He asks quizzically.

"Just Uriah being a little bitch." Lynn states as we all burst out in laughter.

"And Tris is now training initiates with you and Eric!" Marlene adds excitedly.

"What?" He breathes, turning his confused gaze to me. "Is this true?"

"Max visited me today and asked me to train the new initiates with you and Eric. I agreed to and he told me to tell you." I say. It's not the entire story, and even though we're smiling at each other, our eyes are communicating something different. He knows there's more to the story but we'll have to wait till we're alone later to really talk about it.

"That's great." He says, taking a seat next to me. "You know what that means?"

"What?" I coyly respond, knowing what he's hinting at.

"I get to spend all day of the next ten weeks entirely with you." He smirks.

"And Eric." Christina snorts.

"Him too." Tobias adds and turns to her. "But he's not nearly as good looking."

"What? No! Eric's a total babe!" Zeke jokes and Tobias and him laugh, reminiscing on their own initiation days and we all get lost in light-hearted and lively conversation again.

**-x-**

Later on that night, Tobias and I are in one of the training rooms. I know from my days as a trainer that there are multiple that are open late, but the single one that stay open overnight rotates daily. It just so happens that the materials we want to use are not in the overnight one, meaning we have a limited amount of time in here before it closes. There are a few members training, but for the most part it is quiet.

Even though I used to be in here all the time and grew a bit of a distaste for it, I realized that I missed being in here more than I thought I would. I especially missed the times when Tobias and I would come in here and train together. It has been too long.

After we did sets of shooting and throwing knives, we ended up in the ring together, each taking our fighting stances. Tobias is by far a better fighter. Even though I am fully aware of that fact, it doesn't stop me from trying. The greatest thing about it is that he doesn't go easy on me because I'm small or because I'm a girl. He pushes me to my breaking point, to my best, and that is what I love about him.

I put my arms up, ready to go, carefully observing him and watching for any movement. If I don't act first, he could get a quick advantage, so I go for his throat. He blocks it easily and I pull back, ducking as he sends a punch toward the side of my head. I throw a punch in my crouched position, stepping into it, but he catches my fist in his and pulls me forward, stepping aside. I stumble a bit, turning around quickly.

"Good recovery. But it needs to be quicker." He says to me, using his instructor voice. It only fuels me more. We dance back and forth in a volley of punches and kicks, beautifully in sync and almost choreographed. I try to think of how to get a good punch in to throw him off. As I throw my right arm out to punch him, it goes across his torso, just past his right side, and I continue rotating so that my back is facing him and bring my left elbow back to jab him in the ribs. He wasn't able to block it, and I hear the air leave his lungs as he slightly doubles over on top of me. I turn out of his grasp and try to kick, but he catches my ankle and with that single hand, flips me roughly onto the floor on my back. It knocks the air from my lungs. He leans over my body, resting his hands on his knees as we both breathe heavily. "You about done, Stiff?" He taunts, firing me up though I don't have the chance to respond.

"Hey lovebirds. I need to close up for the night." A familiar voice cuts through our moment, interrupting all things good in our little world. We turn our heads to see Uriah lying on his back on a nearby bench, casually picking at something without paying too much attention to us. I didn't realize it was so late. Tomorrow was going to be important.

Tobias returns his cheeky gaze to mine and picks me up, hoisting me over his shoulder. I playfully pound on his back in protest. "You're all good now." Tobias says, waving to Uriah on our way out.

"Goodnight, Uriah!" I manage to say. Tobias sweeps through the halls and I have to duck at some points to make sure my head stays attached. My laughter fills the corridor and at one point his hand reaches up to tickle my sides. When we reach his apartment, he ungracefully throws me on his bed. Taking a few steps back, he just stares at me and I stare back, watching the hunger and greed swirling in his eyes. I prop myself up on my elbows, trying to catch my breath, and I whisk a piece of golden hair out of my face.

"You about done, Stiff?" I taunt, using the same remark that he made earlier. "I can sit here and stare right back all night, you know." I know I shouldn't tease him but I can't help myself in the moment.

He takes a few steps in my direction until he's right in front of me and I have to crane my neck upward. "No, I'm not done." He says, shaking his head, but never breaking eye contact. "I'm just getting started."

After a blissfully passionate time kissing and enjoying each others' company, we fall asleep, linked in each other's arms and completely exhausted, but ready to take on the new day… and more importantly, the new transfers.

* * *

**So it's sounding like life is going to get pretty hectic for Tris and Tobias. Such is the Dauntless life. **

**Thanks for reading and I appreciate any faves, follows, and reviews! I should update at least once more this week (maybe even twice!). Have a lovely day!**

**XO, Tara**


	7. Chapter 7

**[Be Brave] Chapter 7**

**So I was going to post this tomorrow, but I got more reviews than I expected (we've broken 10 y'all!) and I was far too excited to wait a few more hours. Here it is, early! Time to meet the initiates! Also, I'm reading **_**The Fault in Our Stars**_** right now, and definitely stole a line straight from the trailer. If you've seen it, I'm sure you'll notice. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind. I merely play around with it.**

* * *

Tris POV

It is one of the rare mornings that I wake before Tobias. I take a few minutes to enjoy his sleeping form, observing his relaxed features and the way his lips part ever so slightly. I trail kisses along his face, whispering his name. He grunts back at me. "Hey," I say. "It's time to get up."

He keeps his eyes firmly shut and draws his arms around me, pulling me closer. "Nope. We're going to stay in bed all day. It's only Choosing Day. They don't really need us anyways." He buries his head into his pillow.

"Tobias," I playfully scold. "You know we're required to be there."

"Is that so?" He says, finally peeking an eye open. "I'm still not convinced."

"Would you be more convinced if I left to go get ready?" I ask, trying to escape his grasp.

"I might be." He responds. I stop struggling and just lay there with him. He looks at me intently, smiling.

"What?" I ask. "Why are you staring?"

"Because you're beautiful." He whispers and I feel warmth rising in my cheeks. "And I like it when you blush."

In truth, I love it and hate it that he can cause these kinds of reactions in me so quickly. I smile back at him and change the topic. Last night before we left to go train, I told him about my encounter with Max. He was in agreement with Tori – it was rather strange – but he also knew that I was one of the top candidates even out of the choosing pool and he was excited to work with me.

I could feel the doubts rising in me again. "What if I'm not a good trainer?" I ask quietly.

"Tris," He says, giving me a look. "You are going to be a great trainer. You probably know more about training than I do, actually."

"That's not true," I start.

"Yes, it is. I didn't start out as a trainer. Everything I showed you all last year was stuff I learned in my initiation. You've had actual experience training actual Dauntless members, not just initiates." He says.

"They're not going to listen to me, though. They're going to think I'm too young, too small, too… too weak –"

"Stop it, Tris. You're doubting yourself and everything you just said isn't true. The only way they're going to listen to you and respect you is if you do it first to yourself. Understand?" He says.

"Yes." It is all I manage to say. He's right of course. I see him giving me the look again. "Yes, Tobias, I understand."

"Good." He says, kissing me on the forehead. "How about we go meet our initiates, then?"

**-x-**

"In a few short minutes, the initiates will be entering the compound for the first time." Tobias announces to the crowd gathered. He has already switched into instructor mode. There is an excited buzz throughout the compound as we wait in anticipation for our potential new members. I stand at the front of the crowd, in between Christina and Uriah. Tobias and Zeke stand by the net, waiting for the initiates. We can't see them standing on the roof from this position, so all we can do is wait for one to make the jump.

Just then, a flash of yellow falls from the sky, bouncing up in the air twice until nestling in the large net. Tobias reaches over, just as he did for all of us last year, and helps her onto the ground. She brushes voluptuous waves of dark brown hair from her face, revealing deep-set eyes and sun-kissed skin. It makes the yellow of her clothing glow amidst the sea of black surrounding her.

Next to me, I see Uriah's jaw drop. "Holy smokes," I hear him almost whistle under his breath. "Those curves…" He adds, and I roll my eyes amusedly, remembering that it was just yesterday that he was badmouthing Amity.

"What's your name?" Four asks her.

"Lucilla Carmena de Carpio. I go by Lucy." She replies confidently, flashing a beautiful set of teeth. "And you are?"

"First jumper, Lucy." Tobias announces to the group, ignoring her question completely. She looks around in awe, visibly excited for what's to come. She must notice Uriah intensely concentrating on her because she takes the flower from her hair and tosses it in his direction, walking away. He greedily snatches it off the floor like it's a precious artifact.

"Uriah, calm yourself!" Christina barks at him, shaking her head. "Could you be more obvious?"

Will laughs, throwing his arm around her. "After that gesture, do you still think he'll still want to make her soil her pants?"

"I think he'd rather do other things in her pants." Christina replies.

Tobias announces another initiate, this time a tall, dark-skinned boy who seems to be peculiarly quiet for a Candor initiate. Preston Mitchell is his name. Preston is then followed by Jesse, who although screaming the entire way down, waves self-assuredly to the crowd, clearly pleased with himself for surviving the jump.

"What's with the overconfidence of the Amity transfers?" Christina comments.

"Probably too much sun." I joke.

Initiates continue to land in the net one-by-one. Two more Candor girls make the jump: Jacqueline, a commanding presence who might have as much sass as Lucy has confidence and Erika, who seems to be more brutish than feminine. They are followed closely by two Erudite transfers: Alexander, whose bright red, bushy mop of hair could be seen before his body as he fell headfirst, and Rachel, who is tall and graceful with bones jutting out at awkward angles.

I continue to take notes as the number of transfers keeps growing. It has already surpassed last year's number. Finally, we have our last jumper out of the net – Edwin, who is almost an exact replica of Elliott, the jumper two before him, except poor Edwin looks as if he is going to cry.

In total, we have fourteen transfer initiates: four from Amity (Lucy, Jesse, Aaron, and Caledonia), five from Candor (Preston, Jacqueline, Erika, Donny, and Wade), four from Erudite (Alexander, Rachel, Elliott, and Edwin), and surprisingly, one from Abnegation (Owen).

"Congratulations initiates on making the jump. Welcome to Dauntless." Zeke addresses the small crowd in front of him. We all cheer for them and our beloved faction. They might as well learn now that life here is constantly rowdy. "Dauntless-born initiates will be training with Lauren and me," He points toward Lauren and they jog and jump over in her direction. "And the transfer initiates will be training with Four, Tris, and Eric." He points in Four's direction, but the transfers don't move. I move to stand next to Tobias, doing my best to have my own presence among the group, eyeing them intensely. From the look of it, it is a diverse group of individuals. This should be fun. Eric joins us on the other side of Tobias.

Tobias opens his mouth to begin his spiel when Eric interrupts. "Initiates," He starts, glaring at Tobias. I can already sense the tension. "My name is Eric and I am one of your leaders here in Dauntless."

"I'm Four." Tobias states.

"And I'm Tris." I add. "We'll be your instructors over the next ten weeks."

"Ten weeks?" One of the girls pipes in. "That's double the amount of time for the other factions' initiations!"

"And for good reason." Tobias responds. "There are three stages to our training. We'll start with physical, training your body in how to respond in certain situations. The next is emotional. You'll learn to control your reactions in the midst of fear. Finally, we'll end with mental. This is where you'll combine the physical and emotional parts of training and learn to control your mind and body at the same time and act accordingly. At the end of each stage, there will be cuts." The initiates gasp.

"That's right. He said cuts." Eric smirks viciously. "And if you're too afraid to compete, you should just leave now."

Tobias continues, "Only the top initiates will make it into Dauntless. It would be wise to pay attention throughout your training." Tobias turns on his heel and begins to walk toward the corridor. "Follow me." He commands. I match his pace and walk alongside him, each of us shooting a glance at each other out of the corner of our eyes, his eyes alight in amusement. The initiates shuffle behind us nervously.

"Pick up the pace, initiates." Eric commands impatiently. The three of us continue to give them the basic tour of the compound, showing them everything from the training rooms to their Spartan-like dorms and open bathrooms to the dining hall and beyond. We tell them to change into their new Dauntless garb, letting them know that they have the rest of the night off but they must be ready to go in the Pit the next morning at 8:00 am sharp. As the three of us leave, Eric splits off down another hallway so it's just Tobias and me walking together.

"So what do you think?" I ask.

"About what?" He replies.

"I don't know… about jumping on trains, or Dauntless cake, or your beautiful, smart girlfriend?" I smirk, waiting for his response to any of the above.

"Well I don't think about any of those." He quips with a serious look on his face. He looks over to see my reaction and a mischievous grin breaks out on his face.

"You're funny." I say, pushing his arm. "What I mean is how do our initiates compare to last year's?"

"I can't say yet. You'll get a better idea of them tomorrow. Trust me." He says as we enter the dining hall, looking for our normal table. Christina waves us over. We pass one of the tables with our initiates sitting at it and I hear little snippets of their conversations.

"How can you eat that? Do you even know what that is?!"

"Oh, that must be something that only Erudite do."

"How would you rate that girl over there? No, the one with the red streaks."

_Typical_. I think to myself, rolling my eyes at their attempts at small talk. Right now is the calm before the storm. They don't quite know what exactly they're getting themselves into, but they're enjoying one of the better parts of life here.

**-x-**

A few of us had taken a little walk around the compound after dinner, just continuing conversations and enjoying each other's company. Tobias held my hand throughout, which was nice. It turned out to be a little awkward when we bumped into a few of our initiates.

"So you two are together?" Jacqueline asked. "Now where can I find me a man like that?"

"No, Jacqueline. The trick is to draw them in. Let them come to you." Lucy says. "I can teach you how, if you'd like." I see Rachel roll her eyes, clearly not amused by their topic of conversation.

"Oh honey, I don't need any lessons." Jacqueline replies. "But this is one of the reasons I'm thankful to be out of Candor. There are no decent men there."

It almost seems as though they've forgotten we are here too. Tobias clears his throat and they start to scramble down the hallway. Their conversation is loud enough that we hear the rest of it until they exit.

"I'm sure there are some very sweet men if you look hard enough." Caledonia adds.

"Rachel, what do you think?" Jacqueline demands as the girls turn to face her.

"I really have nothing to add to this incessant chatter about the male species." She sounds bored and uninterested.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can find you a boy. I'll can help… I'll teach you how!" Lucy adds excitedly.

"A boy? We're looking for men, Lucy." Jacqueline responds.

"That's quite alright, actually…" Rachel comments.

The voices trail off and it is quiet again. "That was interesting." I comment, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "What happened to the intimidation factor, huh?"

"I'll let them think I'm nice for a night." Tobias says, shrugging it off nonchalantly. "Tomorrow will be a wake up call." I laugh and notice that it's just the two of us in the hallway. Alone.

Tobias backs me up against one of the walls, pressing his body into mine, and my hands find his hips while his go to my head. He runs his hands through my hair and stops when he is holding my head firmly in his hands, running his thumbs along my cheekbones. "Hey." He says. "I love you, Tris."

"I know." I smile up at him. "I love you, too." He kisses me on the mouth and my hands start to roam beneath his jacket, finding and feeling his rippling muscles through his shirt. He presses his body harder into me as our kiss intensifies. We are interrupted when we hear footsteps in the hallway again.

"Oops! Sorry, I dropped this. See you tomorrow!" Caledonia squeaks and disappears.

**-x-**

Tobias had to go check in on the daily reports for the Control Room and I had to go to my office to check in on happenings in the city and specifically within Abnegation. I didn't know how late I'd be so I told Tobias that I would just see him in the morning when we were supposed to meet with Eric, Lauren, and Zeke.

As I'm walking back to my apartment later, I hear noises like there is a bit of roughhousing going on. My curiosity leads me to search it out and I see a group of five boys pushing each other. Two of them are throwing punches that lack technique. I recognize all five of them. They're my initiates. One of the two practicing throws a punch that sends the other to the floor.

"Hey!" I shout. "Knock it off. There's no fighting in the hallways." Realizing the one on the floor is not moving, I rush to his side, immediately checking his vitals. He has a pulse and he's breathing. I snap my fingers in front of his face.

"Hey…" I trail off. I've already forgotten his name. "What's his name?"

"Alex." One of the bigger guys, Wade, replies.

"Alex, can you hear me?" I see his eyes flutter open and his hands reach up to his head. When he pulls it away, it is covered in wet blood.

"Take him to the infirmary. Go to the Pit, then up to the second floor. You can't miss it." I say. "Don't ever let me catch you doing this again. There's a fine line between bravery and idiocy."

Preston nods, "Yes, ma'am." Preston and Wade put their arms around Alex and lead him in the direction of the infirmary.

I turn and start walking away, but hear Jesse say quietly, "Is she serious? What a b-"

I snap back, narrowing my eyes. "Yes, I am dead serious and it would be wise for you to listen to me."

"We're just having a little fun –" Jesse begins saying.

"C'mon man, let's just go." Preston says, pulling Jesse's arm. "Sorry Tris." He adds. My eyes are still locked in a battle with Jesse as Preston guides him away from the scene with his other hand. Once they leave, I feel muscles relax that I didn't know had tensed in the first place. I run a hand through my hair, sighing. At that moment, I really want to go see Tobias, but I don't know if he is back at his apartment or asleep already, so I decide against it and continue onward toward my apartment.

Once inside, I fall on my bed, analyzing the day. I realize that I had run into most of my initiates walking through the halls as they explored their new home that night. I was starting to get a pretty good sense of who was who within the group. I was also getting a good sense of which ones I was starting to like and dislike.

_I can't believe they're already beating each other up_, I think to myself, _even if it was just messing around in the hallway_. We haven't even started training yet – they would have plenty of time to do that to each other. It was my least favorite part of training last year and the part I was least looking forward to as an instructor. What's so brave about beating each other senseless?

The door clicks open and I lift my head off the bed to see Christina enter our apartment. "Rough day?" She laughs and I just grumble. "One of your initiates came in tonight."

I move to a sitting position. "I know. I sent him there. What's the prognosis, nurse?"

"Split head, about an inch. Looks like it happened when he fell. Will helped Doc with the laser treatment to close it up. He's on painkillers until he needs them and other than that, his head will be tender for the next few days." Christina spouts off. "Anything else you'd like to know about our patient?"

"So he'll be in training tomorrow, right? If he doesn't show up, Eric will probably force him out." I comment.

"Yes. He'll be released tonight and he should be good to go for the morning." She says. "Don't get too attached. You don't know who's going to make it in yet."

"I know." I say as the harsh reality of Dauntless initiation surfaces. I don't want to talk about it anymore so I repress those thoughts and switch to a lighter topic. "You're not going to Will's tonight?" I ask.

"Nope. He's working the overnight shift, so I'm here. I thought I'd be alone though. Why aren't you with Four tonight?" Christina asks.

"He had to stop by the Control Room and I had to stop by my office. I thought I would be there longer, but there really wasn't anything new today." I stretch my arms out over my head and yawn. "I'm tired. I haven't even done anything strenuous today."

"You should get some sleep, Tris." She says and I see her eyes light up. "But first, girl talk. We're never alone. I'm going to take full advantage of this time."

"Can't wait." I laugh. She changes into comfier clothing and plops down on my bed next to me.

"Now, where should we begin?" She muses, her finger tapping her chin in thought. "Oh! I know!"

* * *

**Another chapter down! Yahoo! Hope you enjoyed it. **

**You'll get to learn more about the other characters throughout training… and other events that may or may not occur. :)**

**Thanks again for all the faves, follows, and reviews! I really, really appreciate them all! Have a wonderful weekend and look for another update next weekend. (But who knows… if I get good feedback, I may surprise you with a chapter earlier than expected!) I'm off to go finish _The Fault in Our Stars_. Don't mind me as I sob my eyes out uncontrollably. **

**XO, Tara**


	8. Chapter 8

**[Be Brave] Chapter 8**

**Thank you so much for all the feedback! I really do appreciate it and I'm so sorry that this got uploaded so late (stinking school…). Enjoy the chapter and have a great start to the week! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that the ultra brilliant Veronica Roth has created from her crafty genius mind. I merely play around with it.**

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Tris POV

With an apple-crisp muffin in hand, I walk into the training room the next morning. Yesterday, the five of us agreed to meet first before the initiates were awake to talk about training for the day. I walk over to meet Lauren, Zeke, and Tobias. Eric must be on his way.

"Seems a little fishy, don't you think? He's announced as the other trainer and then the day after the initiates get here, he drops." Zeke says.

"He hasn't dropped. He is a leader. Something important could have come up that he needs to take care of." Tobias replies.

"Wait, what's happening?" I interrupt.

Tobias turns to me, leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed. "Eric will be in and out of our training. I'm not sure how often he'll be with us though. We'll be doing most of it ourselves."

"Really?" I pause, thinking about it. Maybe it will be better without him around.

"I guess so." Lauren shrugs.

"I don't know, man. I think something's up." Zeke comments.

"Regardless, there's not a lot we can do about it now. If anything, I'm glad that Eric's not here to watch us like a hawk all the time." Tobias says before he turns his head toward Lauren. "What do you have planned for the day?"

"Since it's the first day, we're just going over expectations and starting training room rotations." Lauren responds.

"Good." Tobias nods. "We'll be doing the same. Not nearly at the same level, but they have to start somewhere. We'll introduce weapons in a few days. For now, we'll focus on a base." He smirks and my eyes follow his to the clock on the wall. "It's time."

"Oh yeah," Zeke says, throwing a few punches in the air. "We're coming for ya, initiates!" Zeke and Lauren head off toward the Dauntless-born dormitory. Tobias hasn't moved from his spot, leaning against the pillar so I take a few steps forward, closing the gap between us to stand in front of him.

"Good morning." I say. "You ready?"

"I am. It looks like it's just you and me today." He says, reaching out and pulling me into his arms. I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes, listening to his heartbeat in the few moments of comfortable silence that follow. I feel his lips on the crown of my head, signaling that it's time. Our hands find each other as we walk out of the training room and head toward the transfer dormitory.

When Tobias stops in front of the door, he releases my hand. We walk inside together and I turn on the lights while Tobias bangs on part of the railing. The clanking noise is enough to startle most of them, but a few simply turn over on their beds.

"Rise and shine, initiates. You have five minutes to meet us in the training room. If you're not there, you're out." Tobias states.

"Five minutes!" Jacqueline exclaims, almost horrified.

"I thought you said we were supposed to meet at eight?" Jesse comments.

"Change of plans." Tobias states. He nods his head toward the door and we make our exit.

**-x-**

The initiates quickly trail into the training room, one behind the other. Tobias continues to look at the clock, silently counting down the seconds in his head. The last few stumble in just a few seconds before the five-minute mark. They're all here. Excellent.

"Welcome to your first day of training. For the next few weeks of stage one, we'll meet in here from eight to six, unless otherwise stated. Tris, Eric, and I will be grading you based on your performance each day. I suggest you take this part seriously. You will be ranked against Dauntless-borns as well and those rankings determine who stays."

"Any questions before we start?" I ask, but there is a surprising silence among the group. "All right. Let's get started."

I lead them in a proper stretching warm up and once I'm finished, Tobias leads the group in a morning run. I stay toward the back of the pack, watching and observing the members of the group. Preston, Jesse, and Caledonia lead the pack while Donny, Erika, and Edwin struggle to keep up with the rest. Most of them fall comfortably in the middle. Alex is keeping up surprisingly, although I notice that he continuously reaches his hand up to check his head. After we get back from the run, they have a small break as Tobias and I set up a few materials in our training room.

"This morning we will be working on agility." Tobias says, addressing the initiates. "You will be split into two groups. Tris and I will each be facilitating a group –"

"What happened to our other trainer?" Jacqueline interrupts.

Tobias clenches his jaw and takes a few steps toward her. "Well Jacqueline, if you would have kept your mouth shut for a few minutes longer, you would have heard the answer to that. I'm only going to say this once, so listen up. Eric will be with us when he needs to be. Otherwise, it's Tris and me. Got it?" Tobias towers over her at this point and she just nods.

"That's a shame. He was handsome." Lucy comments.

I hold back the urge to gag. She obviously hasn't had much of an up close encounter with him. I address the group instead. "You're in good hands. Four and I were both ranked first in our initiate classes. We expect you perform well, but the only way to do that is through training."

Tobias nods. "We've wasted enough time. Save your questions for lunch and get into your groups."

I work on one side of the gym with my group of seven, leading them in exercises that work their leg muscles, while Tobias's group focuses on core muscles. We spend the hours up until lunch working with our starting group. After lunch, we switch groups for a few more hours, and end the day early with sprints, other agility drills, and a long cool down. Many of the initiates have to drag themselves out of the room, tired from a long day, but at least no one was hurt.

"It's a strong group." Tobias says after the last one leaves. "Let's grab some dinner and then we can talk about rankings for the day." I help him clean up the last bit of materials we have out and we head towards the dining hall.

"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." I say just loud enough for him to hear.

"It means you've done your job well today." He smiles down at me and squeezes my hand reassuringly.

**-x-**

Tobias and I finish ranking the initiates in the training room later that evening and fill out a report to give to Eric. As we're leaving, I see Jesse and Rachel in there working out some more. I mildly scoff, but it's enough that Tobias notices. He raises his eyebrow at me.

"It was just something he said last night. Don't worry about it." I shrug it off continuing to walk, but Tobias grabs my elbow halting me.

"What did he say, Tris?"

"It happened last night when Donny hit Alex and I told them to go to the infirmary – "

"Hold up." Tobias interrupts me. "What exactly happened last night?"

It dawns on me that I forgot to tell him about my encounter with some of the initiates last night. "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you this morning. I was distracted with the whole Eric thing." It was true, at least. "I ran into some of the initiates last night and they were messing around in the hallway. Donny threw a punch at Alex, which by the way they both have terrible form, and it knocked Alex to the ground. There was blood so they took him to the infirmary. Christina said he had a laser treatment to seal up the split. He did pretty well today consider last night's events."

"But what did he say?" Tobias repeats.

I sigh. "I just don't think he takes me seriously as a trainer. He's got an attitude." I put my hand on his arm to ease the tension. "Trust me, if I can handle Peter, I can handle just about anyone – including him."

He averts his eyes from mine. "I knew I didn't like him."

"It's just sad to see Rachel with him. He doesn't seem like the type that she would keep company with." I comment, looking in their direction.

Zeke pops his head in the doorway with Shauna and we're close enough to hear him. "Speaking of keeping company, we're heading for the bar if you two want to join us."

"I could use a drink." Tobias grins.

"Just don't let me get smashed again." I say, sharing a laugh with Tobias.

"I don't know if I can promise that." He jokes, throwing an arm around my shoulder and leading me out of the training room.

**-x-**

Later that night, most of us are slamming drinks and having a good time. It's a good way to unwind after the first day of training. Marlene mixes up a special round of shots for us and we toast to life, friendship, and Dauntless before we drink.

"Oh man, that's good." Will says, before engaging in a conversation with Tobias about the origins of different types of alcohol.

"I miss this. We never go out anymore." Christina says.

"Enjoy it now. Life is only going to get busier." I say, raising my glass to her before taking another swig of my drink. We chat a little before we overhear our neighbors.

"Fine, just don't be all butt hurt about it." Lynn pushes loudly enough that the conversations around us stop as we listen in.

"I am _not_ butt hurt." Uriah replies tensely slamming his drink on the counter. Marlene reaches over to Lynn, placing her hand on Lynn's forearm and giving her a look that calms her down. "I'm out of here." Uriah mumbles before storming out. It's an uncomfortable moment for those of us present.

"What just happened?" Christina pulls me aside, her eyes following flicker from Uriah's retreating figure back to me. I just shrug. "It had to have been something with Marlene." She continues. "I still don't think he's over her."

"Really? But it's been almost a year now…" I trail off as I see a few familiar faces making their way through the crowd. They shouldn't be here.

"Hey!" One of the male bartenders, Gabe, shouts in their direction. "No initiates in the bar."

"But why not?" Lucy asks. "Can we just have one drink?" The commotion around them stops as some members pause from their conversations to glare in their direction. She tries to smile and wave at some of them, but they don't respond politely. I glance over to Tobias, who is already making his way over to them. I decide to do the same.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Caledonia whispers to Aaron. Preston grabs Lucy's arm, pulling her back in between himself and Jacqueline.

"You need to leave." Tobias states harshly. "It's not a suggestion. It's an order." I am almost taken aback by his tone, but I hold my ground beside him.

"This is a members only area of the compound." I say firmly. "Leave. Now." The five of them do not object. They make their way back through the crowd and once they're out of sight, Tobias lets out a heavy breath beside me. The commotion in the crowd has returned and all eyes are off us. I pull on his arm to bring his head down closer to mine. "You okay?" I whisper in his ear.

"No." He grunts.

"You didn't do anything wrong. They shouldn't have been here. It's okay." I tell him. "Don't let them ruin our night. Let's have fun." I say between kisses along his neck. I pull back to see him staring intensely at me. I stare back, offering him a small smile. After a few moments, the corners of his lips turn up ever so slightly and he leans in, giving me a sweet kiss on the lips. It is moments like these when I am thankful that I can offer him support, just as he does for me. I kiss him back harder and part my lips, giving his tongue entrance. He slips one hand under my jacket and the hem of my shirt so that it rests on the bare skin of the small of my back. His fingers burn against my warm skin and he pulls me closer so that our hips collide. My fingers reach up to run through his short hair and I hold his face steadily against my own. We stay connected like this for a few minutes, before we pull apart, catching our breath. He gives me one last peck on the lips.

"Thank you." He breathes.

"For what?" I respond.

"For reminding me of something important." He says.

"And what's that?" I ask curiously.

He looks down. "That I'm not as cruel as I think I am sometimes."

I tilt his chin slightly so his eyes meet mine again. "That could never be true."

**-x-**

We spend the remainder of the week working on exercises and drills to build skills in agility, speed, strength, and endurance. They must be working, because I see improvement in many of the initiates even from the first day. We get back from our morning run to see Eric in the training room. I almost forgot that he was training along with us.

"Well done, initiates. Your reports are looking good." He says, pacing in front of the line. "It's time to start fights."

"Eric, we're not starting fights for at least another week. We still have to introduce weapons into the training." Tobias argues and I agree.

"You haven't introduced weapons yet?" He laughs menacingly. "You're slacking already, Four. How do you expect them to be ready by the end? Maybe all of your initiates will be the ones cut."

I notice Tobias tensing and my eyes narrow. "_Our_ initiates will be ready in time." I cut in before Tobias has the chance to respond. "Like you said, their reports are looking good. Maybe you'd see that for yourself if you were actually here."

Eric's eyes narrow at me and I realize that it's probably not appropriate to be arguing in front of the initiates, but I don't care. "Then let's start the fights so I can see." He says, smirking. "Better yet, Tris and I will do a demonstration."

"No!" Tobias immediately responds. "I'm not going to let that happen. If you want to give them a demonstration, fight me."

"So you want a rematch?" Eric lets out a hollow laugh. "Watch closely, initiates. You'll need to learn how to fight sooner rather than later, especially considering what's happening in the city." I swear his eyes flash to mine the second he says that and my senses immediately heighten.

I watch the two of them take their stances and circle each other. I know in the past, Tobias has beaten Eric in the matches they've had, but that was years ago. Tobias is still a great fighter, but Eric has become better as well. I nervously bite at my fingernails, but pull my hand out of my mouth as I see the initiates glance back and forth at each other. This isn't a good idea.

Eric throws the first punch, which Tobias dodges easily. He tries to get a punch in on Eric, and just barely brushes his side. They dance around each other for a little while longer until Tobias lands the first punch on Eric. I let out a nervous breath. Eric recovers quickly and gets in a good hit on Tobias. Tobias kicks, knocking Eric back a few feet. A few more hits are exchanged between the two and there is blood already. I can't take it anymore.

"Stop." I yell. "Stop it!" They don't listen. Even though it is dangerous, I step into the ring to try and get between them. I dodge a punch and face Eric. Tobias's eyes flash to me and I see Eric draw his arm back. I just barely register a fist about to connect with my face before everything goes black.

**-x-**

My eyes flutter open to a sterile room that became unfortunately familiar in the past year. I turn my head to see Tobias sitting in the chair next to the bed. He gives my hand a squeeze.

"How are you feeling?" He asks. The scene comes back to me and my mind replays the fist connecting with my face again. My left side throbs.

"It's not the worst I've felt. Did you catch what Eric said in the training room today?" I say, beginning to get up. "I need to find out what he meant."

"Slow down, Tris. You need to be cleared first before you can leave." He says, pushing me back onto the bed lightly. "I'm sorry that he did that to you."

"It's not your fault. He's still on a power trip. He's threatened by us." I respond. "Can you get Christina?"

"She's not here, but let me go get one of the nurses." Tobias says, getting up from the chair. He returns a minute later not with a nurse, but with Will.

"How are you feeling, Tris?" Will asks cheerfully.

"Fine." I respond. It's really no big deal.

Will examines what must be a bruise high on my left cheekbone. It is tender to the touch. "You should be all set to go. Take two of these pills if you need to reduce the pain and if you start seeing black spots at any point, come see me. Got it?" He says, lowering his voice. "Otherwise, stay away from Eric, okay?"

I roll my eyes. "I'm not sure how easy that will be. Maybe I'll give him a matching one."

"Keep it down, killer. You can't threaten one of our leaders in public." Tobias laughs and adds, "I already beat you to it."

I turn back to Will. "So I can go?"

"You're all clear." He says.

"Thanks, Will." I say glancing at Tobias. "I need your help. We need to figure out what he meant."

Tobias sighs. "All right, but you need to promise me that you'll rest tonight. I need you tomorrow."

"Done." I say. "Let's go." I lead him toward my small office where I figure we can research freely. I struggle to pull up some of the daily reports on my computer and Tobias takes over and gets what I need. "One of these days, I'll figure it out." I mumble, searching the document.

"One of these days I'm going to teach you because you need to know how a computer works." He says, searching through another document. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Eric said that they would need to know how to fight because of something that was happening in the city. I've been trying to check in on the dailies but it's been difficult to concentrate the last few days because I've been exhausted." I tap my chin, continuing to search through the documents. "Why can't we find anything?"

"All the news from the city comes in through Erudite. Maybe they're not releasing information to the general public yet." Tobias says. "You should talk to some of the other faction ambassadors and see what they know. That might be more helpful than searching the dailies."

I lean back in my chair. "It looks like I'm going to have to if I want to find anything out."

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**Aww partial cliffhanger. I'm really excited for the next chapter so you can get a glimpse into what's happening. It should be up relatively soon, but I can't promise a specific day. It will definitely be up by next weekend but I will do my best to get it up ASAP.**

**Thanks again for the faves, follows, and reviews. You guys make my day! :)**

**XO, Tara**


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